The brave people who followed Jesus is early times risked everything. Being a Christian brought persecution, ostracism from the family, poverty, and sometimes, death and martyrdom.
There were very few noticeably tangible benefits from being a Christian in that society. It was certainly not a step-up the social or career ladder.
So, what Paul says here, is that “if ” Christ had not been resurrected from death, Christians could not be forgiven, and they’d have no hope of eternal life. We’d only be living for the trappings of this world—pitiful, because we would all be going through such suffering for no purpose whatsoever.
Paul wrote, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22) How much does the miracle of the resurrection matter? Without it, Christianity is a house of cards. Everything hangs on the reality of the resurrection. It’s the new life that God offers to each of us. Jesus wrote a check with His life on the cross, and that check cleared the bank on Resurrection Day with the empty tomb.
The whole reason Jesus came into this world was to be a perfect sacrifice for all sins for all time. As Jesus died on the cross, saying, Tetelestai, “It is finished,” he bore your sins and died to redeem you. He paid your price for salvation. A great old Hymn says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” The resurrection is the ultimate sign of Christ’s divinity. He rose to prove new life in Him is a reality today. The resurrection is the culmination of every sign that Jesus performed, and every sermon He preached.
The Apostle John wrote about the seven miracles he witnessed as Jesus performed them. At a wedding: Jesus turned water into wine. Later he healed an official’s son, and still later a paralytic lame man. He astounded a huge crowd by multiplying a tiny portion of food to feed five thousand men.
Jesus gave sight to a man who was born blind. He raised Lazarus from the dead, and He Himself walked on water. All of these miracles had a very specific purpose: to prove conclusively that Jesus was the long-prophesied Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Imagine being John who watched his best friend being tortured and killed on a cross. Was he hurting and hiding, afraid authorities might do the same to him? Perhaps like some of you—worried about what’s going to happen next, anxious aboout circumstances you can’t seem to control?
Come to LECC at 415987 Highway 9, Eufaula, where our congregation celebrates the resurrection as a reminder that because He lives, we—and you—can face tomorrow! We have small group Bible study at 10 a.m., worship at 11 a.m. and Wednesday night all age activities at 6:30 p.m. Here we thank God that His mercies are new every morning.
God Bless You!
Jeremy Little, Minister
